I personally love to laugh and when choosing a flick to watch, I will most assuredly choose a light-hearted rom-com or a classic screwball comedy (I’m talking black and white or technicolor classic!). Very rarely a drama, there’s enough of that in my life already thank you very much! Never horror – that’s an up-all-night-with-terrifying-thoughts happening…no thank you! (But if that’s your thing, go for it though!) I will intentionally seek something that will raise my spirits. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine! And usually, once the show is over and I’ve had a few good belly laughs, I feel better, lighter and ready to carry on.

Solomon, reportedly the wisest man who ever lived, tells us this, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (NIV). Now, even if you’re unsure about what you believe about the Bible, there’s still a nugget of wisdom to be found here. Dry bones vs. a cheerful heart? Hmmm… which one sounds like the better option? Will laughter give you your job back? No. Give us back our freedom to go out again? No. Heal this virus? No. BUT, it will help us get through it! All the news, while it’s important to stay informed, is filled with information that is meant to fuel our fears. So if we can, even if just for a moment, chase that fear away with some laughter, our souls will lighten and can maybe help us keep a balanced perspective. I don’t know about you, but I need some perspective right now!

When I laugh, not only is it good for my soul, but I find myself in a better mood generally. I see the beauty in the budding trees around my home. The green of the grass. The blue of the skies. When my soul is lifted, I speak kinder to people. When I feel better, I can share the humor with others and maybe brighten their day. The ripple effect, ya know?  Again, Solomon tells us this, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:22 (NIV). What’s in us typically comes out in the way we treat others and with stress levels increasing, patience can be stretched thin and the words we speak may taste more like a bitter root rather than a honeycomb. This is why laughter, especially right now, is so important! So we can have a cheerful heart.

When I begin to feel low, or short-fused, I will intentionally seek a way to stir up my own joy! As I mentioned before, with the type of movie I watch or a chat with my son, he’s the family funny man so I’m sure to have a good laugh when talking with him! One of my friends has kept us in stitches with the comical memes she’s been sending out in our friend group chat and I am so thankful for that – she has certainly brightened my day many times. Do you have people like that in your life? Call or text them! Are you the funny one? Share the humor with friends and loved ones who need their spirits lifted with a good, hearty chuckle. We all need to be cheered!

We can do ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually, a world of good when we laugh. You may have to be very intentional about finding a way to do it, but you will feel so much better when you do! And do it daily! And God, in His wisdom, even wired us to experience joy and laughter! When you can find a moment of laughter in the midst of your greatest trial, it’s a treasure to be stored up for sure!